RCN: Establishment of an Epigenomics of Plants International Consortium (EPIC)

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PI: Doris Wagner (University of Pennsylvania)CoPIs: Craig S. Pikaard (Indiana University) and Robert Martienssen (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)An ever-expanding community of researchers is exploiting the many advantages of plants for epigenetics and epigenomics research. The overall goal of this Research Collaborative Network (RCN) is to organize the US and international plant epigenomics research communities in order to prioritize goals and research needs aimed at efficiently deciphering how chromatin and epigenetic regulation at the genome level controls plant form and function. Aims of the RCN include identifying the intellectual, technological and bioinformatics needs that currently limit progress of the field, promoting data sharing, and developing community standards for data collection, data deposition and data dissemination. Achievement of these aims will be catalyzed by a steering committee of epigenomics experts who will organize discussion workshops on specific topics and design online surveys that will solicit input and suggestions from self-registered members of the plant epigenomics community. The efforts of the RCN will include formation of an Epigneomics of Plants International Consortium (EPIC) and the drafting of a document outlining recommendations for future funding priorities.Broader Impacts:The EPIC RCN initiative will include development and maintenance of an EPIC website that will serve as a "one-stop portal" for community input and information sharing, which will be accessible via http://www.bio.upenn.edu/faculty/wagner/#research. This website will also contain information about the activities of the RCN and educational information about epigenetics and epigenomics as areas of investigation. In addition, the EPIC initiative will work towards the establishment of a central epigenomics data repository and a user-friendly browser tool that will allow unified display of different types of epigenomics data. Finally, the RCN initiative will actively seek to identify ways to improve participation of young scientists, underrepresented minorities, and students at both large universities and small colleges in plant epigenomic research.